Enjoy The NOW In Your Practice

One phrase from my limited studies in meditation is that of “nothing of what was before, nothing of what is to come.” This has opened up a rich awareness in my T’ai Chi Chih / Seijaku practice.

I have come to think of the practice as a balance of motion and stillness. At first look, the stillness of TCC comes in the grounding of the palms down position at the end of each set of movements. As our practice deepens, we become more aware of stillness and “now.”

At some point in my learning, I finally “got” that real grounding occurs when I really let go, or relax physically (without becoming limp in my posture). The shoulders, pelvis, knees, ankles and wrists feel as if they all go “ahhh.” And all bodyweight is surrendered to the feet. We need to bring this into our conscious awareness every time that we ground after a set of movements.

The less obvious (but equally wonderful) moments come at the end of each weight shift in that fleeting second when one weight shift ends, but before the next begins. I have become aware that when I think my weight shift has completed, there is more letting go to do, and then the body fully releases. The pelvis “gives” into total relaxation which drops the weight completely down into the soles of the feet, relaxing the entire upper body, knees, ankles and feet.

In that moment, there is only the now of feeling solid and stable, yet totally relaxed with the weight on one foot, and the body in surrender to quiet. This helps open the mind to the awareness that every moment is a now moment, “nothing of what was, nothing of what is to come.”

In being still after moving, the mind knows only now. There is no thought of the previous movement, nor of the next. It is as if leaving no trace. Any footprints that were made are gone. Any missed opportunities or thoughts that a movement did not feel right are gone. No judgment. No comparison. Only now.

As Justin wrote in Spiritual Odyssey, “You can chase your shadow all day and never catch it, but stand still at noon and it will merge with the body – with no effort.”